True and you would be amazed at how easily Dennis Tucker, Publisher of Whitman Books takes it. Of course he does always take the time to explain all this for those that ask. And he does explain to anyone that it is just custom to do this since they have since the 1st edition. He does go a little silent about the prices of the coins. One thing that always gets me is when I ask him why Whitman charges more than many stores such as Walmart, coin shows, etc he says they just buy in massive quantities. Still you would think if you contacted a manufacturer you could get some kind of discount but they charge the listed price.
Think about it - how would retailers feel if Whitman undercut their prices for the book? They would be VERY upset.
I buy a Redbook every couple years and during the off years I generally rely on periodicals or the PCGS website http://www.pcgs.com/prices/ for pricing. Redbook is a good reference to have around to see the general changes over several years. Anyone else get a kick out of the Presidential Dollar in Silver quote of $16.00 in the 2008 Redbook?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 ..........get em while they're hot.
I've been buying a new one every year and donating my old one to someone new to collecting. Last year it was my older brother. This year I think I will give it to my nephew, who is 7.
I'm not so sure the prices are horrible. I see prices for particular coins all over the map. The Redbook price is kind of like an approximation.